kitwilliams

is there a reason (other than the fact that you all use it regularly) NOT to keep it in the freezer? I don't want to hurt the duck fat that i have so recently become addicted to!

Ahhh. Get yourself and the gin out from under the bed and make Nigella Lawson's Gin & Tonic Jelly (in the Domestic Goddess book). The gin is added after any heating of ingredients so the alcohol is fully potent. Refreshing! Have the ferrets ever managed to get into the gin?

Geez, so sorry, Adam!

Awesome, Lucy. Thanks for opening this window into your kitchen and life. Something to aspire to -- especially your menu organizational chart!

having tried both methods, i prefer the slicing of the head of cauliflower. the more cut edges you have, the more crisping you achieve. and i agree. the little kibbles are my favorite bits too!

What a fun read! Congrats!

Hi Paula! I'm curious as to know "which came first" for you: the love of the clay pot solely based on its rustic beauty, or the love of the clay pot, having been fed some amazing dish cooked within its confines? And what was that first dish you were served that had been cooked in clay?

No, I do actually bake for a living! And am of the female persuasion, unlike the British gentleman Kit Williams, author, artist and clockmaker. Is your potter a male or female Kit? rooftop: I have a list of (some) commonly used ingredients and their weights (grams and ounces) per cup...PM me if you're interested and I'll forward it to you.

You want the croissant recipe from "Pastries from La Brea Bakery" as opposed to "Breads from La Brea Bakery". I agree with you completely about croissant dough making the best cinnamon rolls. In California they have become known as Morning Buns. I also prefer croissant dough for danish pastries.

Shredded Wheat. The kind they sell at Trader Joe's.

Wish I could take the credit, Jay, but those are Schnitzel's great pictures. I was simply drooling over them!

Gorgeous! What I wouldn't give for a few of those with my morning tea!

I have yet to make crumpets but on a past trip to London, remember purchasing them at both Tesco and Sainsbury's. I believe it was the flavor of the Tesco crumpets that I preferred and, looking at the ingredients, saw that they they included vinegar. Would this affect anything but the flavor of the final product?

Thank you - it's nice to know that someone else had pikelets in Derbyshire! I don't think I would attempt them either - it might spoil a marvellous memory. ← Next time you're in Stoke-on-Trent, pop over to Glenn & Sue's Oatcakes, 62 Waterloo Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Tel: (01782) 261883. They have terrific pikelets. I like them best with currants, quickly warmed in the frying pan, spread with butter, a little jam and enjoy with a lovely, milky cuppa!

Perfect, Andy, only it looks like you need a little brown sauce along with your egg and bacon! Now you need to head on up to Burslem in N. Staffordshire, make your way to Hamil Oatcakes and order yourself a Whopper. Tell Gerry (if he's still the owner) that I sent you. I had my fifteen minutes of fame at Hamil's a few years ago. fun times. great oatcakes.

The North Staffordshire Oatcake gets my vote for favorite "girdle" or griddle cake. Basically a large crepe made with equal amounts of oat and wheat flour, milk and water, yeast, it can be filled with most anything however in The Potteries, bacon or sausage, egg, cheese, brown sauce, etc., are favorites when purchased at the few oatcake shops that have survived through the years and which seem to be having a bit of a renaissance. You can make a stack of them and they keep for several days wrapped in a lightly damp towel. Delicious filled with savories however my dad loves them spread thick with jam. A good recipe can be found in Elizabeth Davids "English Bread and Yeast Cookery." Pikelets can usually be found in the oatcake shops in N. Staffordshire... and Elizabeth David has recipes for these as well. I haven't tried making them, Anna, as I don't think they'll live up to my memories! I first had these in Derbyshire as well. You're probably right, Adam: the proverbial "they" say that every culture has its flatbread.

More good thoughts coming your way... Take good care.

Of Alice's Restaurant? What characterized her voice in recipes, Kit? ← I mentioned Alice in fun, as I just found a copy of her 1969 cookbook and have been laughing hysterically since opening it. What a character. So very '60s. Under "Faking It" she states: "Just because you have four chairs, six plates and three cups is no reason why you can't invite twelve people to dinner..." and she goes on to suggest using hubcaps for plates and coffee cans for drinking cups. There isn't much I'd cook from this book (as I said above, it is so very '60s and so very basic) but Alice is adamant about encouraging experimentation with substitutions and changes and doin' your own thang, just as any good hippie would. She comments that sweet potato pie is "out of sight"! Bitchen!

Alice May Brock. Anyone remember this one?

Oh, you beat me to the punch. The descriptions of the food at the Wilder house are the greatest. Piles of donuts and cookies. Hams and potatoes and jellies and pies and pies and pies. And apple and popcorn and cider by the fire before bed every winter evening? Has anyone else tried the trick described in the book of taking two glasses of equal size, filling one with popcorn and one with milk, then dropping the popcorn, piece by piece into the milk and the glass of milk will not overflow? And, yes, the simpler fare served at the Ingalls house was just as mouth-watering. I dream of picking plums on the bank of plum creek, flicking bees away from the broken, oozing skin and popping the warm plums into my mouth. Field trip, anyone?

I'm a fan of steamed puddings so simply put some (1/4 cup or so) of the caramel sauce in the bottom of the pudding basin, batter on top (your basic STP recipe which called for oven baking), wrapped it up, stuck it in a pot of simmering water (1/2 way up sides of basin) and let it bubble away for about two hours. Turn it out onto platter, pour a little more sauce over for presentation, put the rest into a jug for serving, cut pudding into wedges and douse with more sauce. One of my customers, a teenaged boy, when I gave him a sampling and asked him what his favorite dessert in the world was replied, "THIS is now!"

kirsch, dark rum, calvados, bourbon, armagnac, cognac, poire william, framboise.

I've only had a salty Virginia ham once in my life, Steven, sent to us one Christmas from my grandpa in Charlottesville. Oh how we treasured every bite. I imagine it shredded into small bits, fried crispy/chewy in the duck fat and sprinkled onto that velvety soup. And when did you say you'd be serving it ?????????!!!!! Don't forget...make lots of extra garlic croutes!

In flours where the bran and germ have been removed, they add some of the nutrients found in the bran and germ back into the flour after refining. I think it's as simple as that...someone correct me if I'm mistaken. Is that not part of the milling/refining process in the UK?

I had so much fun participating in the testing for this book and have just made my first attempt at a recipe from my brand-spankin'-new copy! The Creme de Potiron or Autumn Squash Soup with Country Ham and Garlic Croutes is delish (I'm devouring soup and bread as I type)! Recipe on page 67 and photo on 197 (notice that gorgeous bowl in which it is served!). I used kabocha. No Bayonne ham to be found so used Prosciutto. And, best of all, I still have some duck fat in the freezer, leftover from when my friend and I tested Paula's Torchon of Foie Gras Poached in Duck Fat page 242, so the croutes have a hint of foie gras clinging to them as well! Velvety smooth, the mild sweetness of squash, saltiness of the ham, a clip of fresh chives...don't forget that hint of nutmeg. My broth was salted (Paula lists using un-. I didn't need to add any additional salt so, should you use salted broth, take great care in your seasoning! Or be a good cook and follow the expert's instructions! Hint: make a LOT more than just one croute per person! Personally, I don't like to use spoons with soup...just give me bread, and garlicky, duck fatty, toasted baguette is the best spoon you'll ever eat! Going to do Roast Chicken Stuffed with Garlic Croutons in the Style of the Correze over the weekend. Who's next?